Found problems: 963
1956 Moscow Mathematical Olympiad, 342
Given three numbers $x, y, z$ denote the absolute values of the differences of each pair by $x_1,y_1, z_1$. From $x_1, y_1, z_1$ form in the same fashion the numbers $x_2, y_2, z_2$, etc. It is known that $x_n = x,y_n = y, z_n = z$ for some $n$. Find $y$ and $z$ if $x = 1$.
2015 India IMO Training Camp, 3
Let $n > 1$ be a given integer. Prove that infinitely many terms of the sequence $(a_k )_{k\ge 1}$, defined by \[a_k=\left\lfloor\frac{n^k}{k}\right\rfloor,\] are odd. (For a real number $x$, $\lfloor x\rfloor$ denotes the largest integer not exceeding $x$.)
[i]Proposed by Hong Kong[/i]
2008 Dutch Mathematical Olympiad, 5
We’re playing a game with a sequence of $2008$ non-negative integers.
A move consists of picking a integer $b$ from that sequence, of which the neighbours $a$ and $c$ are positive. We then replace $a, b$ and $c$ by $a - 1, b + 7$ and $c - 1$ respectively. It is not allowed to pick the first or the last integer in the sequence, since they only have one neighbour. If there is no integer left such that both of its neighbours are positive, then there is no move left, and the game ends.
Prove that the game always ends, regardless of the sequence of integers we begin with, and regardless of the moves we make.
2003 IMO Shortlist, 1
Let $m$ be a fixed integer greater than $1$. The sequence $x_0$, $x_1$, $x_2$, $\ldots$ is defined as follows:
\[x_i = \begin{cases}2^i&\text{if }0\leq i \leq m - 1;\\\sum_{j=1}^mx_{i-j}&\text{if }i\geq m.\end{cases}\]
Find the greatest $k$ for which the sequence contains $k$ consecutive terms divisible by $m$ .
[i]Proposed by Marcin Kuczma, Poland[/i]
1980 Bundeswettbewerb Mathematik, 4
Consider the sequence $a_1, a_2, a_3, \ldots$ with
$$ a_n = \frac{1}{n(n+1)}.$$
In how many ways can the number $\frac{1}{1980}$ be represented as the sum of finitely many consecutive terms of
this sequence?
2013 German National Olympiad, 6
Define a sequence $(a_n)$ by $a_1 =1, a_2 =2,$ and $a_{k+2}=2a_{k+1}+a_k$ for all positive integers $k$. Determine all real numbers $\beta >0$ which satisfy the following conditions:
(A) There are infinitely pairs of positive integers $(p,q)$ such that $\left| \frac{p}{q}- \sqrt{2} \, \right| < \frac{\beta}{q^2 }.$
(B) There are only finitely many pairs of positive integers $(p,q)$ with $\left| \frac{p}{q}- \sqrt{2} \,\right| < \frac{\beta}{q^2 }$ for which there is no index $k$ with $q=a_k.$
2001 China Team Selection Test, 2
Let ${a_n}$ be a non-increasing sequence of positive numbers. Prove that if for $n \ge 2001$, $na_{n} \le 1$, then for any positive integer $m \ge 2001$ and $x \in \mathbb{R}$, the following inequality holds:
$\left | \sum_{k=2001}^{m} a_{k} \sin kx \right | \le 1 + \pi$
2003 Austrian-Polish Competition, 2
The sequence $a_0, a_1, a_2, ..$ is defined by $a_0 = a, a_{n+1} = a_n + L(a_n)$, where $L(m)$ is the last digit of $m$ (eg $L(14) = 4$). Suppose that the sequence is strictly increasing. Show that infinitely many terms must be divisible by $d = 3$. For what other d is this true?
2015 Postal Coaching, 4
The sequence $<a_n>$ is defined as follows, $a_1=a_2=1$, $a_3=2$,
$$a_{n+3}=\frac{a_{n+2}a_{n+1}+n!}{a_n},$$
$n \ge 1$.
Prove that all the terms in the sequence are integers.
2019 Dutch BxMO TST, 4
Do there exist a positive integer $k$ and a non-constant sequence $a_1, a_2, a_3, ...$ of positive integers such that $a_n = gcd(a_{n+k}, a_{n+k+1})$ for all positive integers $n$?
2005 Bosnia and Herzegovina Junior BMO TST, 3
Rational numbers are written in the following sequence: $\frac{1}{1},\frac{2}{1},\frac{1}{2},\frac{3}{1},\frac{2}{2},\frac{1}{3},\frac{4}{1},\frac{3}{2},\frac{2}{3},\frac{1}{4}, . . .$
In which position of this sequence is $\frac{2005}{2004}$ ?
2008 Bosnia And Herzegovina - Regional Olympiad, 4
Determine is there a function $a: \mathbb{N} \rightarrow \mathbb{N}$ such that:
$i)$ $a(0)=0$
$ii)$ $a(n)=n-a(a(n))$, $\forall n \in$ $ \mathbb{N}$.
If exists prove:
$a)$ $a(k)\geq a(k-1)$
$b)$ Does not exist positive integer $k$ such that $a(k-1)=a(k)=a(k+1)$.
2018 Regional Olympiad of Mexico Northeast, 4
We have an infinite sequence of integers $\{x_n\}$, such that $x_1 = 1$, and, for all $n \ge 1$, it holds that $x_n < x_{n+1} \le 2n$. Prove that there are two terms of the sequence,$ x_r$ and $x_s$, such that $x_r - x_s = 2018$.
1968 All Soviet Union Mathematical Olympiad, 100
The sequence $a_1,a_2,a_3,...$, is constructed according to the rule $$a_1=1, a_2=a_1+1/a_1, ... , a_{n+1}=a_n+1/a_n, ...$$
Prove that $a_{100} > 14$.
2007 Germany Team Selection Test, 1
We define a sequence $ \left(a_{1},a_{2},a_{3},\ldots \right)$ by
\[ a_{n} \equal{} \frac {1}{n}\left(\left\lfloor\frac {n}{1}\right\rfloor \plus{} \left\lfloor\frac {n}{2}\right\rfloor \plus{} \cdots \plus{} \left\lfloor\frac {n}{n}\right\rfloor\right),
\] where $\lfloor x\rfloor$ denotes the integer part of $x$.
[b]a)[/b] Prove that $a_{n+1}>a_n$ infinitely often.
[b]b)[/b] Prove that $a_{n+1}<a_n$ infinitely often.
[i]Proposed by Johan Meyer, South Africa[/i]
2024 Korea Summer Program Practice Test, 6
Find all possible values of $C\in \mathbb R$ such that there exists a real sequence $\{a_n\}_{n=1}^\infty$ such that
$$a_na_{n+1}^2\ge a_{n+2}^4 +C$$
for all $n\ge 1$.
1987 Polish MO Finals, 3
$w(x)$ is a polynomial with integer coefficients. Let $p_n$ be the sum of the digits of the number $w(n)$. Show that some value must occur infinitely often in the sequence $p_1, p_2, p_3, ...$ .
1991 IMO, 3
An infinite sequence $ \,x_{0},x_{1},x_{2},\ldots \,$ of real numbers is said to be [b]bounded[/b] if there is a constant $ \,C\,$ such that $ \, \vert x_{i} \vert \leq C\,$ for every $ \,i\geq 0$. Given any real number $ \,a > 1,\,$ construct a bounded infinite sequence $ x_{0},x_{1},x_{2},\ldots \,$ such that
\[ \vert x_{i} \minus{} x_{j} \vert \vert i \minus{} j \vert^{a}\geq 1
\]
for every pair of distinct nonnegative integers $ i, j$.
2016 ISI Entrance Examination, 8
Suppose that $(a_n)_{n\geq 1}$ is a sequence of real numbers satisfying $a_{n+1} = \frac{3a_n}{2+a_n}$.
(i) Suppose $0 < a_1 <1$, then prove that the sequence $a_n$ is increasing and hence show that $\lim_{n \to \infty} a_n =1$.
(ii) Suppose $ a_1 >1$, then prove that the sequence $a_n$ is decreasing and hence show that $\lim_{n \to \infty} a_n =1$.
2025 6th Memorial "Aleksandar Blazhevski-Cane", P3
A sequence of real numbers $(a_k)_{k \ge 0}$ is called [i]log-concave[/i] if for every $k \ge 1$, the inequality $a_{k - 1}a_{k + 1} \le a_k^2$ holds. Let $n, l \in \mathbb{N}$. Prove that the sequence $(a_k)_{k \ge 0}$ with general term \[a_k = \sum_{i = k}^{k + l} {n \choose i}\]
is log-concave.
Proposed by [i]Svetlana Poznanovikj[/i]
2021 USA TSTST, 2
Let $a_1<a_2<a_3<a_4<\cdots$ be an infinite sequence of real numbers in the interval $(0,1)$. Show that there exists a number that occurs exactly once in the sequence
\[ \frac{a_1}{1},\frac{a_2}{2},\frac{a_3}{3},\frac{a_4}{4},\ldots.\]
[i]Merlijn Staps[/i]
1988 IMO Shortlist, 28
The sequence $ \{a_n\}$ of integers is defined by
\[ a_1 \equal{} 2, a_2 \equal{} 7
\]
and
\[ \minus{} \frac {1}{2} < a_{n \plus{} 1} \minus{} \frac {a^2_n}{a_{n \minus{} 1}} \leq \frac {}{}, n \geq 2.
\]
Prove that $ a_n$ is odd for all $ n > 1.$
2024 Singapore MO Open, Q4
Alice and Bob play a game. Bob starts by picking a set $S$ consisting of $M$ vectors of length $n$ with entries either $0$ or $1$. Alice picks a sequence of numbers $y_1\le y_2\le\dots\le y_n$ from the interval $[0,1]$, and a choice of real numbers $x_1,x_2\dots,x_n\in \mathbb{R}$. Bob wins if he can pick a vector $(z_1,z_2,\dots,z_n)\in S$ such that $$\sum_{i=1}^n x_iy_i\le \sum_{i=1}^n x_iz_i,$$otherwise Alice wins. Determine the minimum value of $M$ so that Bob can guarantee a win.
[i]Proposed by DVDthe1st[/i]
2021 Regional Olympiad of Mexico West, 3
The sequence of real numbers $a_1, a_2, a_3, ...$ is defined as follows: $a_1 = 2019$, $a_2 = 2020$, $a_3 = 2021$ and for all $n \ge 1$
$$a_{n+3} = 5a^6_{n+2} + 3a^3_{n+1} + a^2_n.$$
Show that this sequence does not contain numbers of the form $m^6$ where $m$ is a positive integer.
2006 Tournament of Towns, 6
Let $1 + 1/2 + 1/3 +... + 1/n = a_n/b_n$, where $a_n$ and $b_n$ are relatively prime. Show that there exist infinitely many positive integers $n$, such that $b_{n+1} < b_n$. (8)